Daniel Wayne Dye Bio
Daniel Wayne Dye (born December 4, 2003) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 10 for Kaulig Racing. He has previously competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the ARCA Menards Series.
Born and raised in Central Florida, Dye has built his reputation as a young talent in NASCAR’s development ladder, earning respect for both his race craft and his off-track work supporting mental health awareness.
Early Life and Background
Daniel Wayne Dye was born on December 4, 2003, in DeLand, Florida. He is the son of Stacy Rumbaugh and Randy Dye, a Daytona Beach businessman who owns two auto dealerships, Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram and Maserati Alfa Romeo of Daytona. Dye is a second-generation driver, following in the footsteps of his father Randy, who raced Pro Late Models earlier in life.
He attended Father Lopez Catholic High School in the Daytona Beach area, where he balanced studies with an aggressive racing schedule. Dye is a cousin of Major League Baseball player Josh Dye, who has played for the Kansas City Royals.
Outside of racing, Dye has been open about his commitment to mental health awareness. At the end of 2018, he created the Race to Stop Suicide campaign in partnership with The NASCAR Foundation and Halifax Health, with his father Randy helping to lead the effort through his role on the NASCAR Foundation’s board of directors.
Path to NASCAR
Dye began climbing NASCAR’s development ladder through the ARCA Menards Series East in 2020, driving the No. 43 for Ben Kennedy Racing. He made two starts that season, finishing seventh at Five Flags Speedway before moving to a full-time ride with the same team in 2021. Midway through that year, he switched to GMS Racing, posting enough strong finishes to end the year as the series’ runner-up behind Sammy Smith.
His first taste of national-level stock car competition came in 2021 with a part-time ARCA Menards Series schedule, again with GMS Racing. In only his second ARCA start, Dye dominated the 2021 Zinsser SmartCoat 200 at Berlin Raceway, capturing his first ARCA victory. The performance signaled that he was ready for a full-time opportunity in one of NASCAR’s national series.
Daniel Wayne Dye Career
Early Career (2020-2021)
Dye’s early career centered on the ARCA Menards Series East, where he first turned laps in 2020 with Ben Kennedy Racing. Returning for a planned full 2021 slate, he split the season between Ben Kennedy Racing and GMS Racing and emerged as a championship contender. He closed the year second in the final standings, losing the title to Sammy Smith.
He also made a single ARCA Menards Series West start in 2021 at Phoenix Raceway, finishing twelfth for GMS Racing. These results convinced team owner Maury Gallagher to give Dye a national-series opportunity, setting the stage for his move into the Craftsman Truck Series.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2021-2022)
Dye made his ARCA Menards Series debut in 2021 at the Menards 250, finishing seventh before winning the next race at Berlin Raceway. The win, which came in his second series start, announced him as a rising star in the development ranks.
In 2022, Dye planned a full-time ARCA schedule in the No. 43 for GMS Racing. After three races he was suspended indefinitely following a felony battery charge that was later reduced to a misdemeanor; ARCA reinstated him ahead of the Kansas Speedway event, where he finished third. He ended the year as the series’ runner-up, fourteen points behind champion Nick Sanchez, and earned ARCA Rookie of the Year honors.
He also made a second ARCA West start in 2022, finishing second at Phoenix Raceway in a companion event with the ARCA Menards Series.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2023-2024)
On October 25, 2022, GMS Racing announced that Dye would compete full-time in the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 43 Chevrolet Silverado. The move marked his debut in one of NASCAR’s three national series.
On September 27, 2023, Dye signed with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing for the 2024 season, keeping the No. 43. He earned an eighth-place finish at Richmond Raceway, locking himself into the series Playoffs. On October 29, 2025, Kaulig Racing announced that Dye would join its Ram Trucks program in 2026, signaling a major manufacturer and team change for his next chapter.
Kaulig Racing Era (2025)
In 2024, Dye ran a partial NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule with Kaulig Racing, driving the No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro. On August 23, 2024, Kaulig Racing announced that Dye would pilot the No. 10 full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2025, marking his first full-time national-series ride. The team later realigned its plans, transitioning Dye into the Craftsman Truck Series for 2026 under the Kaulig Racing banner with Ram Trucks competition.
Driving Style and Strengths
Dye has shown a knack for short-track and intermediate-track racing, where his late-braking ability and comfort in traffic have produced strong runs. His early ARCA success at Berlin Raceway highlighted his aggression on tight layouts, while his Truck Series work has emphasized consistency and playoff-caliber point gathering.
Notable Races and Milestones
His first ARCA victory at the 2021 Zinsser SmartCoat 200 at Berlin Raceway remains a signature moment, achieved in just his second national-series start. He has also posted top-ten Truck Series finishes, including a strong eighth-place run at Richmond Raceway in 2024 that clinched his Playoff berth.
Daniel Wayne Dye Career Wins
Dye has built a growing résumé of race wins across NASCAR’s development ladder, highlighted by his early success in the ARCA Menards Series. He has also turned in championship-caliber seasons without always reaching victory lane.
ARCA Menards Series Highlights
Dye owns one ARCA Menards Series victory, the 2021 Zinsser SmartCoat 200 at Berlin Raceway, which came in his second career series start. In 2022, he narrowly missed the ARCA national championship, finishing runner-up to Nick Sanchez by just fourteen points. He was recognized as the 2022 ARCA Rookie of the Year.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his ARCA national victory, Dye has been a consistent contender in the ARCA Menards Series East, finishing as the 2021 championship runner-up to Sammy Smith. He has also recorded a second-place finish in the ARCA Menards Series West at Phoenix Raceway in 2022.
Daniel Wayne Dye Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Dye is a second-generation racer whose father, Randy Dye, competed in Pro Late Model events and now serves on the board of directors of The NASCAR Foundation. Randy is a Daytona Beach, Florida businessman who owns Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram and Maserati Alfa Romeo of Daytona. Dye is also a cousin of Kansas City Royals baseball player Josh Dye.
Personal Life
Dye attended Father Lopez Catholic High School and remains a passionate advocate for mental health awareness through his Race to Stop Suicide campaign with The NASCAR Foundation and Halifax Health. In October 2019, at fifteen years old, he raised and donated more than $15,000 to Halifax Health’s mental health programs.
2025 Season Performance
Dye’s 2025 season centered on his full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series ride with Kaulig Racing in the No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro, a promotion announced in August 2024. The year represented his first full-time national-series campaign and a clear step up in competition level.
The season also set the stage for his next move, as Kaulig Racing announced on October 29, 2025, that Dye would transition to the Craftsman Truck Series with the team’s Ram Trucks program in 2026. That announcement underscored the organization’s confidence in his long-term development path.
Looking ahead, Dye is positioned to compete in the Craftsman Truck Series with Kaulig Racing and Ram, pairing a young driver with a new manufacturer partnership and a deep team infrastructure. The combination is expected to give him a strong platform to chase his first national-series victory and a Playoff run.